This is sad, but I do now really love pens thanks to working at the shop. I want a Yard-O-Led hand-engraved solid silver victorian fountain pen... but it costs £350!!!

I want to kiss a trout!

I'm a girl, don't call me sir, that's rude

Well, how much would you like to spend (our pens go up to £3500), and would you like a ballpoint, a rollerball or a fountain pen? If you prefer a fountain, would you like to use bottled ink or cartridges?

oooh eck, are you the Postgradforum cilla black H?

Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor. God I love them so much, but I rarely listen to their last album...

As far as I understand it no. If you used chapters for your MPhil, you have to *massively* revise them if you wish to submit them as part of a PhD. they must look totally different.

Well, number one, I'm single and have ex-boyf issues. Second, because I'm single I've been nominated to work that day (all the other people have partners to go out with). I work in a pen shop which is full of very stupid people who come in and say "I want a pen" - ooooh, well done - what kind of pen do they want "a nice one". Great.

As far as I understand it you have to make a declaration that the work you submit at PhD level was not used as part of any other degree. So you can't use your MPhil stuff for your PhD, if that's what you intend to do

Stabbing myself in the eye with a biro

Mellib, are you on some form of narcotic?

Oh dear Lord, why has this thread been resurrected, was it not bad enough the first time round? olivia - time to get those Mouth-breathing trout recipes out again - was there one with lemon and olives, I think i might have missed it...

Generally I'd say a suit (your external might not realise how laidback you guys normally are). if not, just generally smart clothes should be fine. Saying that, I know a guy who did his viva in jeans and a t-shirt last year... luckily his external was very cool and clearly didn't hold it against him, he got a straight pass, no corrections!

Yesterday I was at a conference and later some of us went into town for a few drinks. I was more than a little drunk and ended up jumping into a taxi with this guy I met. I turned to the taxi driver to give him directions, then I realised: he was one of my students... Nooooooo! He was very nice about it, but I've never felt so awkward in all my life!

A lot depends on how you want to fund it. If you don't plan to teach, then it doesn't matter too much if your uni is a bit of a trek (I know Sheffield has a great Latin American Specialist - Jean Grugel). LSE is very good for developement studies, but Sussex, as far as I know, is more EU, so if you want to push the EU relations, that might be a good starting point. The LSE has a couple of LA specialists, but mainly in IPE/trade agreements etc